Melissa Sandoval 

I have spent my career representing people during some of the most difficult moments in their lives. For more than twenty years, I have focused on serving individuals and families who often feel unheard or overlooked by the legal system. For the past five years, my work has focused on immigration removal defense at Sterger Law Group, where I represent individuals and families navigating complex immigration proceedings.

I represent individuals in immigration court who are facing deportation and handle matters including asylum, cancellation of removal, waivers, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases for vulnerable children and young people. I have also worked on federal habeas cases challenging unlawful detention. The cases I handle are often complex and deeply personal, and I never lose sight of how much they matter to the people involved.

Earlier in my career, after graduating from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, I joined the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) right out of law school and remained there for nearly nine years. PDS is widely recognized as one of the nation’s most respected public defender offices because of its deep commitment to client-centered representation and its intensive training and mentorship. During my time there, I served as a trial attorney representing clients charged with serious felony offenses. I am admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The training and mentorship I received at PDS continue to shape the way I approach my work today.

I am bilingual in English and Spanish and have lived outside the continental United States, including in Puerto Rico and for nearly seven years in Colombia. Those experiences have deepened my understanding of the communities I serve.

Serving underserved communities has always been central to my work. I try to approach every case with humility and care, mindful of how much is at stake for the people involved.

Area Of Practice

Admitted To Practice

• District of Columbia, 2003
• United States District Court for the District of Columbia
  

Education

• University of Maryland College Park
• BA
• Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
• JD